The Department of the Air Force implemented two changes to its COVID-19 reinstatement process, shifting to parallel processing of screening requirements and Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records actions and deploying dedicated case managers to accelerate the return of eligible service members.
"The Department of the Air Force has a resolute commitment to rapidly return affected service members to the ranks," said Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Honorable Richard L. Anderson. "By running medical certifications and record-correction board actions in parallel rather than sequentially, and establishing dedicated reinstatement case managers as single, proactive points of contact for applicants, we aim to increase the speed and ease of returning former members to service under the DAF COVID-19 reinstatement program."
The changes align with the SECWAR's May 7, 2026, establishment of the Department of War COVID-19 Reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force, which charged the services with identifying and removing impediments to reinstatement, standardizing procedures, and proactively communicating with affected members through individualized contact.
Previously, medical certifications and board-correction actions were processed sequentially, creating an average 30-day bottleneck associated with medical clearances. The department has restructured the workflow so the two now proceed at the same time.
Dedicated reinstatement case managers now serve as single, proactive points of contact for applicants. Case managers aim to eliminate delays caused by missing documents, guide and assist members through each step, connect them with the right agencies, drive handoffs between the organizations that touch a case, resolve administrative roadblocks, provide updates, and answer questions to ensure rapid and accurate reintegration.
Case managers will help members correctly fill out all necessary forms to ensure a smooth application process, which in turn will help members avoid resubmitting forms and accelerate the reinstatement process.
Additionally, because case managers handle direct communication and preparation with members, the Air Force Review Board Agency COVID-19 Reinstatement Team is freed up to focus solely on adjudicating and finalizing cases, accelerating decisions for everyone.
The changes apply to former Airmen and Guardians pursuing a return to service under Executive Order 14184, "Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military's COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate," signed Jan. 27, 2025. The expedited reinstatement program is operating under a one-year extension directed by the Secretary of War and remains open until April 1, 2027.
Former Airmen and Guardians who were unjustly discharged for declining the vaccine, voluntarily separated or allowed service to lapse rather than comply, transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve, or received a "General (Under Honorable Conditions)" discharge for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine can find eligibility criteria, checklists, forms, and frequently asked questions at the Air Force's COVID reinstatement page, www.af.mil/COVID-Reinstatement
